853fisher

They're reasonably near each other, actually! I believe Lake Tanganyika forms part of the western border of Tanzania (mostly with the Democratic Republic of the Congo) and Lake Victoria forms part of the northern border (mostly with Uganda). It wouldn't be implausible to think it might cover 10% of its area too. I think that's actually a pretty good guess. I, on the other hand, said Lake Titicaca and Lake Maracaibo. Only about 1800 miles between northern Venezuela and southern Peru. Practically right next door! ;)

Margaret's comments about how British TV is received in the US made me laugh. We used to watch "Are You Being Served?" on PBS after church Saturday nights. One joke about "Mrs. Slocombe's pussy" and any American show would have been turned off and never spoken of again, but because they had British accents, innuendo and sex farce became Culture. It's still a favorite show and those Saturday nights are treasured memories, but highbrow it wasn't! Somebody should've told Clay that, unlike the SAT, there is a guessing penalty! I get the connection to his job, but I find adults who still bring up their high school standardized test scores as points of pride vaguely pathetic, so I didn't mind seeing him sink after that. He deserved to finish last for "Reza Pahlavi announced a change of name from this to this...'What is India?'" alone. Margaret's wagering strategy is probably her biggest area for potential improvement if she does return for the ToC, and I'd like to see her there. Good luck to Maureen tomorrow. She's from the same part of NH as my mother's side, which I rarely see in national anything, so it was nice to see her do well.

I did think that, although it wasn't clear in January how bad things would get, it wouldn't've taken Nostradamus to predict that the Ukraine clue might age poorly. However, my gut says that J! would probably not take kindly to affiliates choosing to pull the episode, and if I were a station manager I might not want to risk pissing them off, even if I perceived bad taste. I'd be curious to know whether there was any advance notification. I think I'd appreciate a quick heads-up to be prepared for viewers who may comment. Disclaimer aside, I have been surprised in the past by the number of people who seem not to understand that this or that show tapes in advance, has been edited, etc. The show also stated on Twitter that the clue was recorded in January. I'm a little surprised that they didn't add some comment of support to the dry statement of fact: not criticizing, just observing.

I thought it was cliche for these particular characters to be into it, but in general I think there's nothing wrong with consensual kink. It certainly wouldn't make me think less of anyone. (I realize "pervert" was the word they used, tongue-in-cheek.)

Confession: I wasn't paying full attention at the beginning of the game. The first clue after the Beatles songs was "made of coral, this 2-word structure usually runs parallel to the shore" but my mind was still with the fab four and I thought, jeez, I don't know, an octopus's garden? I don't know what's with me sometimes. Good of you to follow the theme in your comments about it. ;)

I wanted Margaret to repeat, but Ryan's bold DD wager made it hard not to root for him a bit. I matched the answer he seemed to be trying to write, Milan. I doubt I could have come up with the capital of Sicily in 30sec even if I'd made that connection. I got Okinawa principally because I know or know of several US military personnel who have been stationed there. It made sense that somewhere we returned to local control as late as 1972 might be somewhere we still had some kind of presence. The surprise in Tyra's ice creams appears to be cookie dough bites. She's not my cup of tea, but some of the flavors do look great (just not at those prices!). I guess "create their own ice cream" is pretty harmless in the grand scheme of things celebrities do for attention. Esperanto seemed like one of those categories that would have been easier at a pub quiz! I got the last 3 once I warmed up. I love thinking about language so that one was fun for me. The whole story of that language is fascinating to me.

There was also "L&O: Trial By Jury" with Bebe Neuwirth; "L&O: True Crime" about the Menendez murders; and "Conviction," with Stephanie March's attorney character from SVU. I think although Wolf created "Conviction" it is not considered formally part of the franchise. But what the heck, I remembered that after I had already punctuated the first sentence. ;)

MTT (whose return to work was mentioned in the arts news category) released an open letter discussing in greater detail his diagnosis of glioblastoma multiforme, an aggressive brain cancer likely to recur, just yesterday. He is no longer with the SF Symphony but is in demand as a guest conductor and is stepping back from administrative responsibilities, including with the training ensemble he founded 35 years ago, in order to make as much art as possible. It was a pleasant surprise that he was mentioned today, if a bit eerie. I certainly wish him and his husband the best at this time.

I forgot that I thought "who is Green?" definitely could have used a prompt to be more specific. "Law & Order" is a tough one. I can't think of an analogous situation there. The "mothership" would have been a plausible guess, and there's not another "real" name for it, so to prompt would have seemed to add information to the clue by ruling it out, rather than simply indicating "which of the Law & Order series"? So I think I agree with their decision there, although it would be a bummer if she did know it. I absolutely do. That must be one of her secrets! ;)

The movie discussion yesterday had my mind-pump primed enough to know that photo was of the director of "Stagecoach." And his name was...? Oh well! On the bright side, The Ink Spots, among others, prevent me from forgetting that the swallows come back to Capistrano. I would not have given Ujal's answer credit. The clue was "the mnemonic Roy G Biv: just the last name." Roy G Biv is a mnemonic for "red orange yellow green blue indigo violet," not for "Richard of York gave battle in vain," which is a different mnemonic. Nobody uses Roy G Biv to remember "Richard of York..." I thought the clue was clear enough. I find "BOGOF" instead of "BOGO," while I don't doubt that citations could be offered, vaguely disconcerting. Margaret seemed about as hesitant today as yesterday, which surprised me a little. I wouldn't've risked "regular Virginia" but that was a fun moment. There's a touch of melodrama about her, but I don't mind. Somebody elsewhere said, I think good-naturedly, that she looks like a librarian with a wicked secret.

I think you've summed it up well. I got myself confused because the boilerplate that I swear has in the past read something like "all 5-time and up champions are eligible" now reads "all 4-time and up champions are eligible." It has seemed in the past that the ToC is at no fixed time, so I guess I assumed that change meant they would cut off eligibility and have a tournament as soon as they had 15 people on the list with at least 4 wins, and never got that out of my head after the producer announced they would be done every year at the same time moving forward. I suppose it's possible, if unlikely, that they might have enough 6-time winners to bump off the 5-time ones by then.

Just for fun, the Best Actor and Supporting Actor that year were Robert Donat ("Goodbye, Mr. Chips" - health problems limited his career) and Thomas Mitchell ("Stagecoach" - he also did four other films that year). Gable may not have brought home the trophy but I think there's no doubt he is the best remembered today.

I also only confidently knew "Gone with the Wind," but that was enough. Many cinephiles consider 1939 the greatest year of Hollywood's "Golden Age." There's always debate around those absolute statements, but I think it was at least pretty good. Garbo in "Ninotchka" is my personal Best Picture. As far as Clark Gable, not that it matters, but I've never understood the appeal. I don't consider him a particular standout as an actor and I don't find him attractive at all. Oh well - I'm sure he's devastated. Am I imagining it or are we getting a few more videos than still photos when the clue comes with an image lately? Like the Havanese they had gamboling around today. I don't care either way, it's just something I (think I've) noticed.

Maybe Christine is just a reserved person in general. I did see quite a smile when Johnny announced her total! I'd like to see her again in the TOC. When Ken said he "suspected" we'd see her again, I re-read the fine print on the website and 4 and up is "eligible" but not "guaranteed": "other eligibility rules apply and final selection is up to the producers' sole discretion." I guess there still is plenty of playing left to do before that tapes. I liked Margaret too, and suspect she is not from Pittsburgh originally. ;) I thought her body language, and her remark before Verrazzano, suggested a lack of confidence. Maybe that will be cured by the result. Throughout the game it seemed clear to me the did have the right stuff.

RE The Band, I really enjoyed the "Once Were Brothers" documentary. I used to love a little theater where I trusted the bookers enough to come out every week for the new film, no matter what it was. This one about The Band was one of the last I saw there. I'll never forget how electrifying I found the footage from their Last Waltz concert. The theater was going to be replaced by a multiplex anyway, but it closed early due to COVID, just before its 50th birthday. I miss the ritual of going there, and the burritos I used to smuggle in from a nearby place! I always thought it was an unsung little jewel. That's generally been the case. This cycle, according to the show's website, the cutoff is 4 wins, so I think she's qualified now. Maybe this will be mentioned tomorrow. How wonderful! Thank you for sharing. Part of the reason I took piano back up, and am looking forward to having a small organ to work with, is that I'd like to learn how to do that. There are still three movie houses around here with organs played regularly, with more used occasionally, but there aren't too many younger people who seem ready to take up the mantle. Suffice it to say that I'd better keep practicing.

I thought Christine's short hair was chic with the hoops. I was glad she had the opportunity to share what it meant to her. Too bad it wasn't a great game for Joe, but I always think well of students who test their knowledge in the general pool. Noy joy in FJ for me. I was assigned to read "Zlata's Diary," about a middle schooler in Sarajevo during the siege. Her family escaped and she now works in documentary films. I found it affecting, one of those books I can remember where I was when I read it, but I didn't really understand the geopolitical context. I think to some extent that was the point: the suffering of this child and triumph of her spirit could be understood universally. But I would like to learn more about the Bosnian War and read the diary again sometime.

You're right too! Thanks for jogging my memory. I was looking at the wrong character on IMDB.

That wasn't a very interesting or funny episode, but I did like seeing Ben (April's boyfriend Derek's boyfriend from Parks & Rec) as Dr. Steve. Any port in a storm, I guess!

I'm glad I didn't overthink the Hugo Awards and "The Sword in the Stone." They are principally known for science fiction, but they cover fantasy too. I recalled that the "War of the Worlds" broadcast had won one retroactively because I've enjoyed reading about it. The panic it supposedly caused was exaggerated by newspapers hoping to paint radio as irresponsible and untrustworthy, which I find fascinating. The talk about Christine's future home organ made me smile. Good for her, to be able to make that work. I have a handful of acquaintances with pipe organs at home, including some who own large former theater organs. I don't know any of them well enough to broach the subject of installation and maintenance costs, but I'm very curious. Meanwhile in my city flat, the Hammond-style organ being passed down to me through the family soon seems like a more responsible choice. ;)

Benson's involvement in this case reminded me of a favorite acronym from TWoP days: T! I! P! She certainly was taking it personally. Eight people around a table maskless under a large screen reading “MASKS HELP PREVENT THE SPREAD OF COVID-19” just looked silly. They can stop signaling that virtue now. We get it. SVU is socially responsible with a capital "s. r." I remember that episode but I think that was Elizabeth Mitchell (Juliet on "Lost," among other things). But you're not imagining that we've seen the birth mother actress before. In fact, we've seen her a total of 4 times on the show now, going as far back as 2004 and the episode with Missy Kurtz, the psychopathic teen who orchestrated the video store robbery/shooting. I think I need to get a life. ;)

Forgot to say that McCoy's "the police are under attack! Some people even want to defund them, for God's sake!" really threw me. I don't remember this character that way. If they are going to bring up those kinds of hot button issues, I would like them to get a little further into them. It would be interesting to learn if what McCoy's been doing while the show was off the air has changed some of his perspectives. There's room for that to come, sure, and I get leaving us wanting more. But that was just too slapdash. Even if his point of view has shifted, unsurprising in over a decade, the McCoy I remember would have conveyed a more sophisticated understanding of this issue.

The actress playing NotCosby's wife was so familiar to me. It turns out she played the disabled former opera diva who was raped and also being abused by Jill Scott in SVU about a decade ago. (She also did another episode 5 years later, which I don't recall.) She has an almost regal way about her. I was glad to see her. I enjoyed the show more than many others, it seems. I agree that many of the slicker changes were unnecessary, but it still seemed much closer to old-school L&O than SVU or OC. I gather we will see more of Jamie Ross next week. I can't help but feel there is an odd habit now, established in SVU, of bringing characters back just to drag them through the mud. I don't know what's up with that. Some of the social issue commentary was a little "on the nose" for me, but I guess it's not reasonable in this day and age to expect a show about police and prosecutors not to address these issues. It always was a bit of a fantasy and a manifestation of privilege, I realize now, to think that these shows lacked a political point of view in the past. There are plenty of other shows for me to find escapism from "the real world."

I was a bit surprised too. I wonder whether one or more of the media mentioned threw anybody off. The Broadway show, for instance, doesn't seem to have left much of a mark, although it ran almost two years. It wasn't the best musical I ever saw but we enjoyed it plenty. It was my chance to see Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth and this is the big showstopper I still vaguely remember.

Christine shared on Reddit, very good-humoredly, that she doesn't recall seeing the photo of Madam C.J. Walker in the studio and would never have guessed "Mary Kay Ash" if she had! That one had me giggling a bit. I didn't love the recap. That tiebreaker didn't really strike me as so "thrilling" that we needed to see it again. They've been doing more of that kind of thing at the beginning and it's just a bit sport-y for me. Not the end of the world but I could do without it. I also think, while Ken often displays a gift for repartee, his response to some stories that offer a bit less potential for wit can seem disengaged. "Shoutout to Northern Lights show choir," while looking down at his cards getting ready for the next story and sounding supremely bored, is a good example of what I mean. Nobody's perfect!

Just to be cute, I said "Checking In" for Marla Gibbs. That spinoff, with Florence as the housekeeper at a fancy hotel, lasted only 4 episodes in April 1981. After it failed, Florence reappeared on "The Jeffersons" and it was said the hotel had burned down. You know the show was a stinker when they had to kill it with fire. I know nobody's come here to read my memoirs, but I had another fun recollection from Hatshepsut, who I first learned about from a Carmen Sandiego video game. I think VILE's henchmen stole the Book of the Dead and I had to get it back with the help of ACME's operative Ann Tickwittee. Kids today don't know what they're missing. ;) They were definitely tough boards tonight for me as well as the contestants. I thought Judiciary / Judicial Committee was just a bit evil to include, but fair's fair, Lucian picked the wrong one. A win from the "fourth podium" would definitely have been possible today, for someone, but not for me the way I was playing.